


all this spare time

by Riley_Ludicrous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Siblings!Markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 02:43:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18401513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riley_Ludicrous/pseuds/Riley_Ludicrous
Summary: The spare to his brother's place as heir, Donghyuck has a decent amount of free time on his hands.  Mark suggests that he volunteer to boost his public image, so he does that, except he doesn't tell anyone that it's him.





	all this spare time

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by the fact that Jaemin got scouted while volunteering

Donghyuck may be a spoiled brat by circumstance, but never let it be said that he doesn’t have his issues, or that he doesn’t try his best to get over all the above.He is the spare to the heir, the _infanta_ , and so his parents typically ignore him for his older, soon-to-be king of a brother, and they make up the difference in attention by letting him have whatever material treasure his heart desires.

Mark tells him one day, in a rare spurt of sibling bonding between all the tutoring and mom and dad stealing all his time to talk about running the country, that he should do something with all his free time.The country barely even knows about his existence because they get fed a surplus of Mark interviews and and planned sightings.Also, the castle gets boring.

Mark recommends volunteering to boost his image.Donghyuck isn’t feeling awfully creative, so he goes with it.Except—

Except he doesn’t tell anyone because that would mean Mom and Dad going through all the effort of turning it into an Event, and they haven’t cared up until now, and he doesn’t feel like gaining their attention now.He tells his guard, and Renjun raises an eyebrow at him and dutifully follows him out into the world one morning to serve in a local soup kitchen.

When they ask for his name, he hesitates, and one kid decides to call him Haechan.The kids adore him because he says the silliest things.Their parents probably think he’s just joking, and he doesn’t correct their assumptions.It’s better than them knowing that he’s genuinely never heard of kissing boo-boos better.Renjun snickers at him for every fumble.

The kids all tell him about a boy who’s just as nice as him called Nana.He pouts at the comparison, but then one girl says he’s her favorite, and he beams at her.In all honesty, he’d love to meet the legendary Nana, who apparently volunteers at a shelter close by, but he feels kind of loyal to the soup kitchen at this point. 

_Someday,_ he thinks, _I’ll go meet the boy these kids are in love with._

He trusts the kids’ judgement.If they adore the Nana, Nana is probably a cool, sweet, lovable guy in general.

.

He gets a ball.It’s the most random thing, and he doesn’t remember ever asking for anything of the sort, but his parents are apparently just now worried about his public image.He asks if he can invite whoever he wants, and they laugh at him like, _Oh, our hilarious son is pretending he has friends, how adorable!_ and tell him he can get official invitations from royal secretary. 

The royal secretary turns out to be a stressed Lee Taeyong.He asks for invitations, and Taeyong looks up from his mountain of work with wide eyes. 

“You’re inviting a bunch of kids to your special ball, Prince Donghyuck?”He gives him an unimpressed face when Donghyuck acts shocked.“Just because Renjun doesn’t tell your parents doesn’t mean he can’t gossip with the rest of us.”

He _does_ actually give a bunch of invitations to kids in the end.It’s the craziest thing, watching their parents notice the royal seal and freak out.He assures them all that there’s no dress code.They’re still mostly speechless, but incredibly relieved.

He sends an invitation to Nana through one of the girls, and she puffs up like one of the noble ladies when he tells her it’s a very important royal mission.He tells the rest of the kids to act as her protection when he catches them growling jealously, and they hop to attention.He thinks the invitation is as safe as it would be under the castle guards’ protection.

His parents never follow up on the people he invited, so he doesn’t bring it up again.

.

The day comes, and he spends most of it helping Renjun help his crush decorate.Jeno is super duper serious about the decorating thing, so Renjun is as well, and Donghyuck giggles at the two of them the whole time.

Doyoung, Jeno’s boss, directs them and a troupe of other staff from the middle of the room.He was confused at first about Donghyuck and Renjun’s presence, but he quickly grew comfortable ordering the two around.

He gets to stay until midday, and then a court messenger pulls him away to lunch with his family.Dad is having a serious discussion with Mark, and Mom eagerly pulls him into light small talk.She asks about his outfit, which he’s barely thought of in the time since he learned he had to get fitted for it outside of the actual fittings with Ten.Even then, Ten usually distracts him with witty banter.

He eats everything on his plate, the sight of children scarfing down every crumb a common occurrence in his day-to-day life now, and Mom scolds him about keeping his figure.

“There’ll be potential suitors at the ball tonight, Hyuck, and you know your place,” she reminds him. 

Mark looks over and winces.Dad doesn’t spare a glance in his direction.

He excuses himself to get dressed soon after that, never mind that it’ll take him less than half an hour to prepare with his attendants. 

.

He sneaks out without Renjun.There’s a big clock in the middle of town, and he thinks he can pay enough attention to get back in time.

He’s almost to the soup kitchen when someone knocks him over.They pull him up, apologizing all the way, and he’s forgiven them before he can see their face.

Their face, which is terribly handsome, rambles through an explanation.“I have to get to the big ball tonight, but Chenle twisted his ankle and scraped it all up, so I had to wrap it because his mom was working, and I couldn’t just leave him like that, you know?”

Donghyuck blinks a few times before he processes all the information and nods slowly.“You’re Nana, aren’t you?”

He chuckles and corrects the identification.“Jaemin, actually.Are you Haechan?”

“Uh, kind of, well,” Donghyuck struggles, and Jaemin holds up a hand to pause him.

“It’s okay.How’d you get that invitation, by the way?”

“Ya know,” he mumbles, “Just.Had it laying around, I guess.”

Jaemin doesn’t look like he believes him, but he accepts the explanation nonetheless.“I have to go,” he says, “Nice meeting you, Haechan!”

Donghyuck waves back, and then proceeds to stand in that spot dumbly for another minute.

.

He makes it back to the castle just in time to slide into his outfit, kiss Ten’s cheek in thanks, and jog into his spot next to Mark.Mom looks mortified that he would cut it _this_ close, and Dad has a look as though he’s just noticed Donghyuck being there, and Mark, for once, is the calmest person involved.Mom and Dad go out first, cutting off Mom’s suspicious squint, and then Mark by himself, and then the ball-goers go completely quiet while Donghyuck is ushered in. 

He sees the nobles first, staring at him closely like they’re looking for a fault.He almost gets caught in their judgmental gaze, but then he hears a child stealing out, “Haechan?” before they’re shushed by their parents.He looks at that boy, Jisung, supporting Chenle and his crutch, and Jisung and Chenle wave at him gleefully.He waves back.

Then he finds Jaemin, awestruck, and shyly waves at him too.The attendees are whispering by now, confused by his behavior.Jaemin blushes and waves back.

With that bit of encouragement, he glides down the stairs just like one of his more romantic maids taught him when he was little, and the party commences.

**Author's Note:**

> Figured I'd jot this down for y'all. I know it's a little rushed, but comment what you think.


End file.
